Bee Movie Game - WII - Preview

E3 2007
Preview

Jerry Seinfeld
is entering the video-game business … well, in a way. There is a pending
animation film from Dreamworks called The Bee Movie. It is the product of
Seinfeld’s fertile imagination and comedic wit. It follows the story of Barry
Bee Benson, a bee that aspires to become one of the elite – one of the honey
collectors.

The world
presents a new view of life inside the hive, complete with the drool humor that
marked Seinfeld’s popular television show.

And like any
good animated film, there has to be a game in it somewhere. Activision is bringing
that game to life with The Bee Movie Game, but the game promises to be a little
more than what is presented in the movie.

As Mike Ward,
executive producer on the title, stated: “ Race, chase and fly through an
adventure that goes beyond the movie.”

But the game
borrows a lot from the movies as well. For example, the color palettes used
match the film. And other aspects will carry over as well. Bees have a hard time
flying in the rain, so during Barry’s bee’s-eye view of New York City, he will
be tasked with dodging the drops falling from the occasional rainburst. There
are also other flying threats to engage in a bit of aerial combat. But never
fear, developer Beenox (coincidence? Likely not) has a few tricks it is ready to
share, including allowing players to pull back branches as they fly past to use
as a weapon against pursuers. Yes, life outside the hive is fraught with peril,
but it can also be quite entertaining as well.

While the hive
sequences use more of a pastel shading, the images outside of the hive are
bright and vibrant, presenting a visual contrast that will likely appeal to
gamers. The game has its share of unlockables, collectibles and minigames and
also – on some levels – allow a second player to plug in a controller for
head-to-head competition.

The Bee Movie
Game is releasing on all major consoles and the PC and should hit store shelves
in the fall.